


Patience

by Tishina



Series: A Pirate's Heart [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 00:29:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12157920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tishina/pseuds/Tishina
Summary: As a pirate, Andronikos knows a lot about patience. And about people who might need it...This was written for the prompt: “I’m not going anywhere” using Andronikos and MisheenThis was written for Misheen, which means a bit dark, referencing the canon slavery and abuse from the Sith Inquisitor’s storyline.





	Patience

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), whose goal is to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites:  
> Feedback
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * Constructive criticism
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> [LLF Comment Builder](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/post/170952243543/now-presenting-the-llf-comment-builder-beta) 


* * *

* * *

Andronikos hadn’t been on her ship long, but he understood. A _zabrak_ Sith? A busted pirate on a four day binge could still have seen the stares and whispers and sometimes outright sneers that trailed her everywhere. Seen her exterior as cold as deep space, her eyes like burning coals, silently denying any outward reaction to the watchers.

That would have made _him_ surlier and more taciturn than he already was. But he saw other things too…and he’d seen the same burning eyes before, the same wary body language. Silent rage and distrust. Scars...like Misheen hides under that dark leather coat with a high collar. Little things. Unspoken things.

_Patience._

Few understood patience like a good pirate. So many hours, waiting...watching...judging the moment.

And a pirate took all sorts of cargo, not all of it inanimate. Andronikos had only been interested in money and chaos, but he wasn’t about to leave sentient cargo behind. Call it his idea of chaos. And in the little space of time as they transformed from cargo to passengers on his ship, he’d seen everything from those who’d been broken to those who burned. Burned with rage, resisting with every fiber of their being, often in silence, denying their enslavers any satisfaction or profit.

No one needed to tell _him_ how to put those pieces together, especially after the nights they'd camped together on Tatooine, nights when he'd heard her thrashing silently in her sleep. Too many of his temporary passengers had fought their own night demons. And now, on her ship, he'd found Misheen alone on the bridge late at night, staring silently out at the stars, rigidly erect, hands gripping the armrests fiercely.

So he began taking a seat on the other side of the console from her at night, sitting just as silently, keeping her company, watching for the demons. Hell, he knew about demons too.

The first time, he knew she was watching him from the corner of her eyes. But he persisted. Most nights, they sat in silence.

_Patience._

He’d never cared much for Sith _or_ Jedi, but he liked her. In fact, he liked her a great deal more than he expected, and more than common sense would suggest was wise. Not that anyone would accuse him of common sense or caution. For all her prickliness and acid tongue, he’d discovered a biting sense of humor he enjoyed. That fierce independent streak so much like his own. And a cargo hold with half a dozen monstrous young creatures _he_ wouldn’t have imagined as pets, but who responded to her training and care like over-bred akk dogs with a beloved handler.

He realized she was also quite pretty, at least to his eyes, but it was her indomitable stubbornness that attracted him. He’d genuinely been surprised when she had responded positively to his first half-hearted flirt, bracing himself for rejection or even anger. But while she bantered cheerfully with him on occasion, Andronikos’s gut told him to wait for her. _Let her be in control_.

 _Patience_.

Tonight, they’d been staring out at the stars in silence for more than half an hour when she stirred, her hands easing their grip on the chair arms, then leaning forward to fold her arms on the console, perhaps the first time she’d visibly relaxed during these late night vigils. “I don’t much like people, you know.”

“That’s alright, me neither.” He was unfazed by this sudden jump almost to the middle of a conversation and answered in the same off-hand tone.

“I understand beasts. They sent me to the beast pens when I was young. I think they expected the beasts to kill me, rid them of a problem. But I survived and the old handler put me to work cleaning. Didn’t know I was using the Force on them.”

“Better work than some, I’d guess.”

She shrugged non-committally. “Slept in the gundarks’ pen after that. Smelly, but safe.”

Andronikos leaned back, hands behind his head, legs outstretched. “I don’t imagine many people would bother you there.” His attitude was casual, but part of him was quickly adding up the small bits of her past she was revealing for the first time. And put that with how fastidious she was about herself now, this woman who’d slept with gundarks for safety.

“No.” She still didn’t turn her head in his direction, but he could sense her watching from the corner of her eyes.

“Why are you here?”

_Patience._

“I dunno, seemed like you kind of appreciated the company. I know I do. I can go if you’d like.” _Not like I don’t have my own blasted demons_.

She was silent for a few moments before sitting upright, and slowly extending a hand, palm up, across the console. “Stay.”

His hand closed carefully around hers, feeling the callouses and scars crossing the slender fingers and warm palm. “I’m not going anywhere.”


End file.
